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Thursday, August 16, 2012

MELKY CABRERA: WHEN SUNSHINE TURNS TO DARKNESS

I have expressed an appreciation for how Melky Cabrera’s
road through the Major Leagues has been.I like success stories.I like
when my kid can come up to me and say “I like that Melky guy now, he can hit!”I don’t like it when I then have to wait for
him to come up to me and say “What’s illegal substance mean?”At that point, I want all these athletes who
knowingly take PEDs to call my house. I want to put them on the phone with my 9
year old and have them explain to my kid who worships athletes that cheating isn’t the
answer.Why? I’ll tell you why…what
happened to Melky Cabrera yesterday should not have happened, read HERE.) He had the
talent, he just needed to play ball…that’s it.

Look, I’ve stated my position on PEDs. I hate the topic. It
makes me queasy.There is no winner.You have these players who may have
“knowingly” or “not knowingly” dabbled in performance enhancing drugs and then you
get stuck in the weeds trying to figure out what really happened. In the end, Major
League baseball says it’s wrong, they test and leave it at that.Enter Melky Cabrera, whom I expected more
from, or maybe not.There was no doubt
Melky did this on purpose and then got caught. He admitted it in a statement yesterday, read below:

"My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down."

I’m disappointed, but
maybe I’m not surprised. Why? Because Melky Cabrera was out to prove
something.He wanted everyone to know
that he could be a great ballplayer and so, he looked for a short cut, he cheated. When he won the MVP at the All-Star game, I
was thrilled for him. When he did his “Crotch-chop” in Atlanta, I was quickly
disappointed and I wondered “What’s up with the arrogance in this guy?”

The guy just seems too immature to handle any
of his recent fame and popularity and that’s the first thing that came to mind
yesterday when I read about him failing the test.He just doesn’t get it.

I try to tell my kids, don’t cheat and they get that, but
what’s to say they’ll get it when they hit high school and some dude has a
barrel full of protein mix in their locker. Or in college if they’re so lucky
to continue playing and there’s a guy with a substance that will make them run
faster and “no one has to know”…then what? As a parent, you guide your kid, but you
can’t hand them their towel in the locker room after a big college game, you know
what I mean?You teach values, but how
do you make sure those values stick when Melky Cabrera or ARod or Rafael Palmeiro pops up? Interesting question, I think I have an answer.

Now, in fairness to Melky, he admitted it, much like Alex
Rodriguez, much like Andy Pettitte and in the public eye, it seems to help…but
it’s always in the back of people's mind…mine included. Many of us like when people admit wrongdoing, but it still sticks. I think about it a lot, but there I go again,
wondering what happened and if it was done intentionally or by mistake.There are guys that probably took it and were
never tested and guess what…we don’t know if it really happened or not, we just
speculate. I hate all of this, but not because they did what they did to their
bodies or the baseball records or all that crap, but for my kids.Why the hell should I have to explain to my
child about some other man’s mistakes? Why? So here’s my solution…

You want to make a real punishment for these players? Here’s a
tip, in addition to a 50 game suspension from Major league baseball for testing
positive on their first offense, they also must record a message that should be
posted on the MLB website and also cut into a Public Service Announcement for television
and radio of the player who failed the test. In that Public Service Announcement, it should simply state (and I’ll use Melky Cabrera as an example):

“My name is Melky Cabrera, I was an
All-Star outfielder with the San Francisco Giants this season, but I tested
positive for drugs and cheating. I am
now suspended for 50 games. What I did
was wrong. Don’t be like me. I am not a
role model. A role model works hard to achieve their goals.”

MLB should have to spend the money on the ad
space with money the player must pay when they're fined, plus their own dough.After all they make millions, they can afford
it.

Yeah, you want players to stop using PEDs? You will see a
dramatic drop in PED use with this punishment, because I’ll tell you why… nobody likes to be
publicly humiliated and this is a public shaming that needs to start
happening.Stop tip-toeing around this
issue… address it Major League Baseball,
because it’s clear, the 50 game suspension isn’t even working. Don’t believe me? Talk to Melky Cabrera who
knew what he was doing…and clearly didn’t care.And while you're at it, I'll give you my phone number, he needs to call my son and
apologize.